Verbal update by Senior Communications Officer, North of England Commissioning Support
Minutes:
The Director of Governance and Partnerships, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System gave a verbal update to Members on the next steps for Integrated Care Systems (ICS), following the publication of the Policy paper ‘Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all’.
It was reported that the legislative process would proceed throughout this year and statutory status for ICS was expected by April 2022; all NHS organisation were obligated to develop plans for the next phase of COVID-19 response and service recovery; and that further guidance was anticipated from NHS England.
It was reported that there were 13 Local Authorities in the North East and North Cumbria ICS; the intentions to build on the existing arrangements in each of these areas; that in Darlington there were plans to consider role of the Health and Wellbeing Board and how a partnership board structure may be best set up, with the expectation that the Local Authority and Acute and Primary Care Providers would oversee local delivery with the overall aim of embedding support and strengthening place based arrangements.
Members were informed of the expectation for provider trusts to work in collaboration more formally; and that provider collaboration was well established in the North East.
It was anticipated that the name of the ICS body would be NHS North East and North Cumbria; the ICS would have a triple aim duty to pursue better health and wellbeing, better quality of services, and sustainable use of NHS resources; and the ICS would be accountable for the outcomes and health of the population, with the authority to delegate to a place level.
The ICS would be overseen by a twin board model consisting of an NHS Board, which would be accountable for NHS spend and performance; and an ICS Partnership Board, which would be a forum to agree co-ordinated action, provide direction for the early stages of ICS formation and would be responsible for developing a plan to address the health, social care and public health needs of the system.
Discussion ensued on the role of scrutiny; governance arrangements for the twin board model; the role of the Primary Care Network at a system level; and the involvement of the private sector.
The Chief Executive, Healthwatch reminded Members of the role of Healthwatch in delivering statutory duties for Local Authorities and urged all Local Authorities to give consideration to the role of Healthwatch at a place and system level.
RESOLVED – That the Director of Governance and Partnerships, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System be thanked for his informative update.